He was long celebrated as the “King of Ibiza,” a man whose lavish parties, celebrity friends, and endless social media snapshots made him the ultimate Ibiza icon. But now, Wayne Lineker is returning to the White Isle with a very different focus – health, fitness, and a life free from the chaos of drinks and drugs.
When Daily Mail caught up with him at Bonito, his Ibiza hotel, Wayne, 64, ordered a glass of water, explaining he was in the middle of a four-day water fast. “Every day is a blessing for me. I shouldn’t really be here,” he reflects candidly.
Over the past 13 years, Wayne estimates he consumed 52,000 drinks and indulged in drugs, surviving mostly on “vodka, Red Bull, and cheese toasties.” Almost a year into sobriety, five months after revamping his lifestyle, Wayne spent seven weeks in hospital recovering from two severe bouts of pneumonia – a stark wake-up call that pushed him to change for good.
“I go to see my doctor for annual check-ups,” Wayne says. “He’s seen me at my worst over 12 years. When he saw my latest results, he told me, ‘Wayne, I’ve never seen you in this health. Fantastic. You’re not drinking or doing drugs. All your blood tests are phenomenal for your age. Well done.’”
The hospital stay was life-changing. Wayne recalls, “After the pneumonia, I was close to death – twice. Even my son Sean was there. They told him, ‘We think you’re going to lose your dad.’ They were preparing to call the family in. It was that close.”
Recovery was slow. “For months, my body ached in new ways. Now, I go to bed before 11pm, wake up early, and never miss the gym. I fast every night until lunch, sometimes do four- to seven-day water fasts, eat healthy, and take supplements and peptides. If you’re drinking and taking drugs, it’s all wasted time.” 
Wayne, father of three sons – Duane, 41; Sean, 33; Freddie, 21 – and a daughter, Tia, 27, is closer than ever to his family. The wake-up call came when his son Duane told him it was unsafe to pick up his grandchildren from school due to his drinking. His last alcoholic drink, a glass of red wine, was at Ibiza airport on July 7 before entering rehab in Surrey for six weeks.
Returning to Ibiza in April, Wayne quickly realised the party scene wasn’t for him. “I went straight to Ocean [O Beach], and it was tough mentally. I went back home for a few weeks and planned it better. Now, I’ll only go for three to four hours a day, instead of being the first in and last out. I’m prioritising family.”
Even his relationship with brother Gary, once strained over 17 years, has healed. “Gary and I had time apart, many years apart. But now, we speak often. We’re very close with each other’s children. We all just really get along,” he says.
Wayne’s life now revolves around routine, family, and new hobbies. He’s starting vlogs exploring beaches, hotels, and restaurants – a way to share Ibiza’s beauty while staying productive and occupied. “With the profile I’ve got, it fits perfectly. It keeps me busy and motivated.”
Reflecting on his dramatic transformation, Wayne leaves a message for anyone battling similar challenges: “If Wayne Lineker can give up drinks and drugs and turn his life around, then anyone can.”
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/
